Analysis: Can Barack Obama Deliver On His Promises?

In his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama  revealed his plan of action if he should win the presidency in November. Obama’s plan touched on every aspect of American living from universal health care, tax relief for middle class and lower income families, the education of school age children and the pursuit of a college education for young adults, the “responsible” ending on the so-called ‘war on terror’ and the supplemental support to returning troops. Obama’s plan also sets out to eliminate America’s dependence on foreign oil in ten years and he hopes to explore alternative means of energy for American consumption.

But since that acceptance speech, things have changed. The economic crisis forced the U.S. federal government to step in with a $850B bailout plan. This bailout or rescue plan that essentially gives a free pass to the crooks on Wall Street and greedy mortgage and bank lenders, will more than likely become a albatross around the necks of generations of Americans.

The question is, if Barack Obama is elected to become President in November and January 21, 2009 begins his first day on the job, what campaign promise will he ax first? Realistically speaking, all of this double talk about not increasing taxes on both sides of the campaign trail is misleading. Taxes will spike and taxes disguised as those pesky hidden fees will become more plentiful. How else will the the two current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq be financed at a $10B a day?

The funding of these two wars will make it fundamentally impossible for Obama to establish his health care program. It would be great to increase the wages of teachers and infuse money into the “No Child Left Behind Act.” But that can not happen without the flow of cash. All of this campaign talk about spreading the wealth and growing the wealth is nothing but code wording for more taxation.

Neither one of the Presidential candidates will be able to fulfill their campaign promises because even they know that talk is cheap, but action takes bucks! McCain and Obama know that the ‘war on terror’ is the gaping hole that sucks the money right out of any reasonable budget. But because this ‘war on terror’ was ill-advised and full of incomplete and unreasonable exit strategies, Americans are going to have to suffer the ‘taxing’ consequences by emptying out their wallets and their bank accounts.

Maybe some straight talk from both candidates on what they could realistically do for Americans as opposed to issuing fantastical whimsical ideals that Disney manufactures every day is not a half bad suggestion. Deep down, we all like to escape and dream up a life that makes sense. We all like to taste the cake frosting from time to time. But the frosting is not the cake. Telling the truth is not something that politicians necessarily like to do.

So, perhaps Obama should keep the promises to a minimum and re-access what theoretical policies are feasibly capable of being implemented. That would surely make him ‘fundamentally different’ from his opponent.